2013 Octavia with 51k

[Nikonite]

The rollercoaster continues. I've just been to a body shop and they have spent 20 minutes looking over the car.

They have said they are 100 percent positive the damage is localised to that door, they found another small ding I had not seen in the opposite sill but otherwise it's straight. They checked under the bonnet and said it's all normal.

His suggestion was to get a new door and blend it in to the front wing and other door and has said the paint isn't faded on the sides and he is happy he would get it to look like the other side.

Crazy I know but we looked at a black Octavia today, £12k so £2k more, 18000 more miles rear sensors only standard cruise bolero screen and no other toys. We are going to contact Skoda and ask for a partial courtesy payment to cover the cost of paint and they supply the door. We will forfeit any paint guarantee on that door only and accept any subsequent issues with said door paint. We would expect any internal door components to still be covered. We are not going to get this spec of car again and after seeing other cars today they are a bit miserable in comparison. Let's see if they can be flexible, I certainly think we are being.

 

[SashaGrace]

Good luck, they may not go for it as it’s a cost to them, the dealer is willing to take the car back and that’s an ideal situation really, they may not be willing to spend out on the car. Also as they’ve admitted it should never have been sold as approved used, you probably won’t have any paint warranty anyway.

[Nikonite]

Thanks Sasha, we are doing everything via email now I think that's best. As I have pointed out we don't expect perfect, we just want it to look like a six year old car not a car painted by a six year old.  Will update how we get on, not holding our breath lol.

[Auric Goldfinger]

Does it need to be an Octavia, there's a rather nice white Yeti in the For Sale Section 

[Nikonite]

Not really but all the yet we have seen have single colour maxidot like my old MK2 and very few toys. They don't feel like an upgrade.

[SashaGrace]

They aren’t in that respect, the Yeti isn’t based on the PQ platform like the Mk2 Octy.

[Nikonite]

Just wanted to update everyone with a beware.  The car has now gone back and the dealer tells me he will easily get the 10k with the door painted. If you come across this car check the problems I had are sorted if you want to buy. )

I expect either the dealer was annoyed and talking his options up or it will be for sale at Bridgewater, Indian Queens or Exeter garages. The wife challenged him on whether it would be patched up and sold and he replied without hesitation that it would. This led us to believe we would be just as well buying cheaper private as buying an approved used car.

.

Ill be honest with stuff fixed I would have been happy but i didn't fancy 12 months of constant hassles as the car had other issues too.

I'm spending a bit more now and getting a Golf GTD which I know is just a VRS but somehow it seemed more solid on the test drive, Maybe just more familiar as I came from a Golf.

[Gaz]

1 hour ago, Nikonite said:

...and getting a Golf GTD which I know is just a VRS...

 

I think there are distinct differences between the vRS and Golf.  I've had a TSI vRS from new, and now a Golf GTI from new.  I absolutely loved my vRS, but the Golf is the better car.

 

All round I'd say my vRS had better presence (possibly just down to the colour), and could swallow up vastly more sizeable objects, but the GTI just seems to do everything that little bit better.

 

I'm going to Italy in September.  If I still had the vRS, and had to choose between that, the GTI and my Wife's Polo GTI, or even my Son's very comfortable Touran, it'd be the Golf GTI we'll choose. All day long.  Even Mrs132 says it's a no brainer.

 

'..just a vRS..' the Golf most certainly isn't, in my opinion.  Good choice! 😎

 

Gaz

 

 

[Nikonite]

Car is now back up for sale at Bridgwater but this time they are using the picture with the dodgy door. 

https://www.helstongarages.co.uk/used-cars/10188469-skoda-octavia-2.0-tdi-cr-elegance-5-dr-estate/

 

Edited 29 July, 2019 by Nikonite

[Alex-W]

FYI, by law (consumer rights act iirc) you're covered for 30 days to get a refund anyway.

You're also covered for a repair or replacement for 6 months.   

 

So, anyone who offers less than 6 months warranty is hoping you don't realise.

 

Somebody I work with recently used this on two cars (both about £6k) he bought which supposedly had a 30 days warranty only.  One he had for about 2 months and it had head gasket failure.  He handed it back to them under these grounds for them to fix....  after about 4 weeks of a courtesy car they gave up and said it was BER.  They tried to offer a replacement on the grounds that he was over 30 days but none of the cars they could offer met his criteria, so they weren't suitable replacements.  They were either older, more miles or more expensive.  He got a refund.

 

He then bought another car with the money and something went wrong (I forget what) past the 30 day period.  He took it back and got it repaired at their cost.

 

Ultimately, if you take them to court, the law is on your side.  The chances are, it's never going to come to that as that'll cost them more in time and hassle anyway, so they'll usually just sort it.  

 

You'll also likely find that in the case of a previous repair/crash etc you're covered by them mis-selling it, but I'm not sure on that one.  

 

Of course, if you buy privately you don't get protection.   BUT you do get a better judge of character of the person who's been driving it about.

Our Mazda was a Demo and then one owner before us.  Had to travel miles to get it, out in the sticks to a lovely house where I could see where it had been parked up etc.  That had a tow bar on it, but I could see the caravan they towed, gleaming in the sun and the people were lovely, with their brand new Qashqai sat on the drive they'd replaced it with.  I could judge the people, the condition, knew the reason they were selling (needed ride height due to increased disability) and was more than happy to part with my cash for far less than a garage wanted.   3 years on and I'm 100% glad I bought it.   I would however be nervous of buying a car that's had many owners.  Generally they have a much more colourful history.  All 3 of ours cars were 1 owner before us (excluding the garage itself).